The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-09-27

In view of the existence condition
of things, we do hereby make the
following suggestions:-
First-That medical superin-
tendent be appointed, who shall have
full control of the Institution, and
be responsible for the management.
He should reside at the Asylum and
should have the power to appoint
and dismiss any of the officers under
him.
Second-That the Superinten-
dent should have the following as
sistants: A purveyor, or steward,
who should have the immediate duty
of buying supplies, the care and
issuing of stores, the control of the
kitchen department, and the general
care Of the buildings and grounds,
under the direction of the Superin-
'tendent; a matron, one female
nurse; seven male attendants, one
chief cook and as many assistant
cooks as may be needed, and such
other officers or assistants as the
Superintendent may deem necessary
for the proper management of the
Asylum.
Third-That o substantial fire.
proof building be built, after the
most approved plans for asylums,
for the accommodation of 1926 pa
tients, and fully equipped, and also
separate residence be built upon
the grounds for the Superintendent.
Fourth-That water be laid on to
the Asylum grounds. All the water
that there now is in the institution
has to be obtained from the spring
before mentioned, and that is some
distance from the buildings. In case
of fire, the buildings, would have to
burn down, and lives would surely
be lost; and, again, for cleanliness,
large quantity of water should be
used, which now cannot be had.
Fifth-A padded room should be
at once constructed, for the protec-
ton of violent cases.
Sixth-That a Board of Inspectors
be, appointed, to serve without pay,
who shall visit the Asylum at stated
intervals, and report to the Depart
ment its findings.
Seventh-That prisoners from
Oahu Prison, who work at the
Asylum, be at once withdrawn, and
their places filed by responsible
persons. Their influence is bad
upon the patients. and they do not
do their work properly.
The locks upon the doors of the
patients rooms are all different and
have to be unlocked by different
keys. This should be at once RENE
died, for in case of fire at night, the
patients could never all be gotten
out alive.
While all of these suggestions can
not be acted upon at once, some OF
them can and should be attended to
Immediately. The appointment OF
a medical superintendent and his
corps of assistants, and the laying
on of water pipes, are matters which
should not be delayed moment, as
they are of utmost importance.
The necessity for a well equipped
Insane Asylum in this Kingdom is
great. Isolate d as we are from the
rest of the world, with an ever in
creasing foreign population, the
proper means for the care of this
unfortunate class, which of late
years has been rapidly increasing,
is of paramount Importance. In
this age of strife and competition,
when everyone has to work to his
utmost to obtain and hold position
in the world, it takes only trifiing
reverse of the wheel of fortune,
acting upon an over-wrought nerv-
Gus system, to unbalance the mind,
that most wonderful of all wonder
full creations, and the most deli
cately arranged, and cast it into q
living tomb to await the day when
nature would claim the rest of a
being, which had perhaps years be-
fore gone out of existence. With
proper care and attention at the
critical moment the individual might,
many times, be saved and placed
back into the world to take his posi-
ton in society, assbefore.
We do not know when some one
near and dear to us, or even we our
selves, may, through some unex-
pected and unfortunate train OF
circumstances, have to claim the
benefits and protection of an insti-
tuition of this character, and the i'm
portance of having such an institu-
ton fully equipped and ably man
aged would then be realized.
Trusting that this report and these
suggestions may meet with your
approval, we are, very respectfully,
yours,
S. B. Dole,
I'll. WATERHoUsE,
G. HI. MARTIN, M. d.
P. S.-We have expended for